This invention relates generally to electronic equipment and, more particularly, to circuit boards.
Circuit boards are susceptible to damage from environmental hazards. Specifically, water and chemicals can damage a circuit board and components on the circuit board. To protect the components, a conformal coating is sometimes applied. Typically, conformal coatings are formulated from polymeric materials of acrylic, epoxy, silicone, and urethane families, and protect the components from moisture. Additionally, conformal coatings tend to restrain components from vibrating. Component vibration is common in motor control circuit board applications. The thickness of conformal coatings varies in relation to the thickness of the corresponding circuit board components. A circuit board with only thin components usually has a thinner coating than a circuit board with thick components. However, the edges of a circuit board typically have a thin coating regardless of component thickness.
A circuit board""s thin edge coating sometimes wears or degrades from general handling such as removing a board from a panel. Additionally, vibration of the board may degrade the conformal coating if the board contacts a board support structure. Typically, the board contacts the board support structure at an edge of the board thus leading to degradation of the thin edge coating. The resulting degradation of the thin edge coating exposes an edge of a board to the environment. Accordingly, when a liquid contacts an exposed edge the liquid may infiltrate the board often leading to board and/or circuit damage. Additionally, most circuit boards are laminated and liquid exposure commonly causes a delamination of layers of a board.
In an exemplary embodiment, a circuit board protection system provides additional protection to a circuit board by preventing liquid from infiltrating the board. The circuit board protection system includes a circuit board including at least one edge, an enclosure configured to facilitate encapsulating the edge, and a seal. The seal encapsulates the edge and prevents liquid from contacting the edge during an exposure to environmental hazards. Accordingly, the circuit board is protected from liquid infiltration at the edge of the board.